You are here

News

This hearing is a great opportunity to identify areas where we can do more to help those who protect us and defend this Nation. It is vital we pay heed to their well-being and guarantee their optimal readiness.

Energy is essential to sustaining life on earth, to driving our economy and the millions of jobs associated with it, and to assuring our freedom. We begin our work this Congress by looking at how much energy out nation produces and consumes currently, how that has changed over the last five decades, and what prospects look like for the future.

Accountability matters – that’s why, along with my authorizing counterpart Rep. Raúl Grijalva, we are requesting the Government Accountability Office issue a formal opinion on the use of FLREA fees to pay for national parks operations during the shutdown. If this administration misused these funds and violated appropriations law, the American public deserves to know.

This is an oversight hearing. This subcommittee is going to review the impact of the administration’s policies on the Affordable Care Act, specifically with regards to affordability, the increasing number of uninsured, and the quality of the benefits available to people.

As Members of the Appropriations Committee, we are charged with taking the lead in safeguarding that authority for all our colleagues. Ironically, the recent government shutdown has caused us to review the laws governing the use of taxpayer dollars and to reexamine what’s permissible and what’s not.

"With this proposal, Democrats are once again supporting strong border security as an essential component of homeland security. Border security, however, is more than physical barriers; and homeland security is more than border security. My proposal strikes a balance between a strong homeland security posture without compromising America’s core values.”

"We are appropriators, and consistent with the proud tradition of our committees, I am confident that we will be able to reach a compromise. I hope that all stakeholders, including the President, will work in good faith to support us as we carry out our responsibilities. Together, we can secure our border and uphold our values."